{"id":3463,"date":"2023-01-03T17:30:51","date_gmt":"2023-01-03T17:30:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pawel.stefanoff.pl\/bugs\/?p=3463"},"modified":"2026-08-21T14:31:10","modified_gmt":"2026-08-21T14:31:10","slug":"2023-01-male-march-fly-on-foliage-en","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pawel.stefanoff.pl\/bugs\/posts\/2023-01-male-march-fly-on-foliage-en\/","title":{"rendered":"A male March fly resting on foliage in Quito, Ecuador"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">March flies (<em>Bibionidae<\/em>) might share a passing resemblance to notoriously aggressive, bloodsucking horseflies, but the similarities end there\u2014these insects are entirely harmless nectar-feeders. A striking example within this family is the genus <em>Bibio<\/em>, renowned for its stark, jet-black bodies and smoky, darkened wings. While their larvae quietly perform vital ecological heavy lifting on the forest floor\u2014recycling massive amounts of nutrients by devouring rotting wood and decomposing leaves\u2014the adults take to the air in spectacular spring swarms. Look closely at a male March fly, and you will notice an exceptionally large, bulbous pair of compound eyes that dominate its entire head. This exaggerated feature allows them to quickly spot the much smaller-headed females during their chaotic, aerial courtship dances. Despite their dramatic swarming behavior, adult March flies possess no stingers and do not bite. Lacking the mouthparts to pierce skin, they spend their brief adult lives peacefully sipping nectar, pollen, and plant sap.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>March flies (Bibionidae) might share a passing resemblance to notoriously aggressive, bloodsucking horseflies, but the similarities end there\u2014these insects are [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3464,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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